The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is expected to receive an additional 2,000 laptops to expand access to digital skills training under the government’s One Million Coders Programme (OMCP).

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, announced the planned provision during a working visit to the university as part of his tour of the Ashanti Region to assess the implementation of the programme and identify expansion opportunities.

The additional laptops will support the establishment of 40 new learning centres on the KNUST campus, increasing the number of centres from the existing 10 to 50.

The university initially received 500 laptops to equip the first 10 centres under the initiative.

During the visit, the Minister toured some of the learning centres and interacted with students to assess their experiences with the programme.

He also encouraged greater participation as the government seeks to widen access to digital education and equip more young people with skills relevant to the changing employment landscape.

The expansion is expected to make digital skills training more accessible to students and other prospective learners within the university community.

It will also provide additional opportunities for beneficiaries to develop competencies that can support innovation, entrepreneurship and employment in Ghana’s growing digital economy.

Mr George further disclosed that the Ministry was exploring opportunities to extend the programme to other tertiary institutions in the Ashanti Region, including Kumasi Technical University.

Such partnerships could broaden the initiative’s reach beyond KNUST and enable more students to benefit from structured digital skills training.

The working visit forms part of the Ministry’s efforts to monitor the implementation of the One Million Coders Programme, identify operational challenges and determine areas where additional resources and institutional partnerships could improve its reach.

The programme is designed to equip Ghanaians with relevant digital skills to enhance their employability, support innovation and prepare them to participate more effectively in the digital economy.

The planned provision of the additional laptops is expected to strengthen KNUST’s capacity to deliver the training, although the Ministry did not specify a delivery date for the new equipment in the announcement.

One Million Coders Programme: Samuel Nartey George targets 50 learning centres at KNUST

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced plans to increase the number of One Million Coders Programme (OMCP) learning centres at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) from 10 to 50, in a major expansion of digital skills training at the university.

The expansion will be supported by an additional 2,000 laptops to be provided to KNUST, building on the initial allocation of 500 laptops used to establish the first 10 learning centres.

The move is expected to extend access to technology-enabled training and provide more learners with opportunities to acquire digital competencies.

Mr George announced this during a working visit to KNUST as part of his tour of the Ashanti Region to assess progress under the government’s flagship digital skills initiative.

The visit included tours of some learning centres and engagements with students to understand how the programme is operating on campus and identify opportunities to improve participation.

The proposed expansion will add 40 learning centres to the existing facilities, potentially increasing the university’s capacity to accommodate more students and other prospective participants.

The Minister also disclosed that the Ministry was exploring possible partnerships with other tertiary institutions in the region, including Kumasi Technical University, to extend the programme beyond KNUST.

The move would create opportunities for more students to access digital skills training without relying solely on the facilities available at one institution.

The One Million Coders Programme is intended to equip Ghanaians with practical digital skills that can improve employability, promote entrepreneurship and support the development of a workforce capable of responding to the demands of an increasingly technology-driven economy.

The initiative also forms part of the government’s broader digital transformation agenda, which places emphasis on expanding access to technology, strengthening digital capacity and preparing young people for opportunities in the digital economy.

The Ministry’s engagement with KNUST is expected to inform further decisions on the programme’s implementation and expansion in the Ashanti Region.

However, the announcement did not indicate when the additional laptops would be delivered or when the 40 new learning centres would become operational.